Northwest Iowa — Last week there were several thousand bicycles trekking through northwest Iowa, and now we prepare for a big influx of motorcycles travelling west on area highways, with the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally beginning in the Black Hills of South Dakota later this week.
Triple-A Iowa’s Rose White reminds motorists to watch out for the 2-wheeled vehicles.
Even without the additional motorcycle traffic generated by folks travelling to Sturgis, White says there are still plenty of motorcycles out and about this time of year.
Strengthening the state’s texting-while-driving law may help to prevent crashes. Iowa’s new primary texting law became effective July 1st. White reminds motorists to never tailgate a motorcyclist. Give them extra space as they may need to make sudden lane changes to avoid potholes or road debris. She says motorcyclists need to be cautious and courteous, too.
25 motorcyclists have lost their lives on Iowa roads so far this year, but deaths are tracking much lower than last year at this time. 60 motorcyclists were killed in Iowa during all of 2016.
